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An off-duty Hamilton County sheriff's deputy fired a shot at and narrowly missed a convenience store robbery suspect after the man pointed a gun at him, a sheriff's spokesman said.

The gunshot startled the suspect, Simeon Thomas, who dropped his weapon and tried to flee, but Deputy Terry Harper took him into custody without further incident, said Mike Robison, sheriff's spokesman.

No one was hurt.

The incident unfolded about 5:45 a.m. Wednesday at the United Dairy Farmers store off North Bend Road in Cheviot.

Simeon Thomas(Photo: Courtesy Hamilton County Sheriff's Office)

"He was in uniform and was getting coffee when a masked armed suspect burst through the front door, displays a firearm and demands cash from the clerk,” Robison said.

“The deputy drew his service weapon and engaged the suspect, demanding that he freeze. The suspect points his firearm at our deputy at which point the deputy fires one round at the suspect, narrowly missing him.

“The suspect was startled and dropped his firearm and attempted to flee by side of store where ice cream is because he thought there was an exit, but there was no exit and he was trapped. Our deputy was able to wrestle him down and take him into custody without further incident.”

Robison confirmed sheriff's investigators are talking with Cincinnati police about possible connections with two other UDF robberies in the city, which resulted in an additional aggravated robbery charge.

Sheriff’s investigators plan to review footage from a security camera in the store that may have recorded the whole incident.

“According to the initial accounts, Deputy Harper showed tremendous bravery in apprehending an armed suspect resulting in no injuries," Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil said. "That’s
no small feat and I commend him on an amazing job well done."